Oilers denied crown

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Huntington Beach High boys’ water polo players show their frustration after losing to Orange Lutheran 7-9 in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship game at Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine on Saturday. (Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot)

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The Oilers team feel the pressure of being behind with less than three minutes to go against Orange Lutheran. (Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot)

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Kali Hyhan, right, her face painted in Oilers colors, is lost in thought after the boys’ water polo team’s defeat. (Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot)

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Huntington Beach’s captain Ethan Wojciechowski buries his head in his towel after the Oilers lose 7-9 to Orange Lutheran. (Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot)

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Orange Lutheran’s Parker Killion puts Huntington Beach’s Quinten Osborne under pressure and eventually blocks Osborne’s shot. the pressure on and eventually blocks the shot from Huntington Beach’s Quinten Osborne. (Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot)

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The Oilers’ Quinten Osborne takes a shot and scores under pressure from Orange Lutheran’s Parker Killion, left, and Sam Sasaki, right. (Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot)

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Huntington Beach’s Ethan Wojciechowski shoots and scores to tie the game 5-5 in the third quarter of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship game against Orange Lutheran. (Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot)

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Orange Lutheran’s Parker Killion shoots and scores past Huntington Beach’s goalkeeper Patrick Saunders in the fourth quarter. (Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot)

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Huntington Beach’s Jacob Cavano ties it up 2-2 in the second quarter. (Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot)

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Huntington Beach’’s Quinn Simpson celebrates a goal to make it 3-2 in the second quarter. (Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot)

By Matt SzaboStaff Writer

Nov. 19, 2016 10:08 PM PT

IRVINE — A four-year journey contained significant milestones this season for the seniors on the Huntington Beach High boys’ water polo team.

The Oilers won their third straight Sunset League title and advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 title game for the first time in program history after losing in the semifinals the last two years. Along the way, they beat Mater Dei and Harvard-Westlake for the first time in recent memory.

Orange Lutheran Coach Steve Carrera said Saturday night that he believes this Huntington Beach team, with its size and four Pac-12 recruits, will go down as one of the best high school water polo teams assembled.

But it was Carrera’s Lancers, not the Oilers, who were able to claim their first Division 1 crown before a standing-room only crowd at Woollett Aquatics Center.

Orange Lutheran junior Hannes Daube scored three goals and the Lancers beat the Oilers, 9-7.

Both No. 3-seeded Huntington Beach (24-4) and No. 4 Orange Lutheran (26-3) were making their first CIF title appearance. But it was the Lancers who came away with the title, nine months after Carrera guided the OLu girls to their first Division 1 crown last winter.

“I never ever would have thought that it would happen like that,” Carrera said. “It feels so good to bring Orange Lutheran to the top of the water polo world.”

How it happened Saturday night was that Orange Lutheran drew more exclusions and capitalized on them. The Lancers finished six for nine on the power play; Huntington Beach was two for four and also missed a penalty shot. Orange Lutheran senior Josh Orrick was able to draw five exclusions at center, getting the Oilers’ Ryan Hurst and Jacob Cavano both in foul trouble by halftime with two kickouts each.

“We played a bad game,” said UCLA-bound Huntington Beach senior goalie Patrick Saunders, who capped a stellar postseason run with nine saves. “But the biggest thing, OLu came to win. They played amazing. That was one of their best games I’ve seen. They wanted it more.”

Huntington Beach, the Sunset League champion, never led in the second half. Orange Lutheran junior Ash Molthen gave his team the 4-3 halftime lead, scoring his only goal in spectacular fashion from near mid-tank at the halftime buzzer.

“Great players do great things, and that was a great player doing a great thing,” Carrera said. “Ash is one of the best I’ve ever coached, along with Hannes, and he’s got ice water in his veins. He’s got the Kobe [Bryant] factor, even though he’s a Celtics fan.”

Coach Sasa Branisavljevic’s Oilers tied the score twice in the third quarter. One came on a turn and fire from six meters from senior center Quinten Osborne, then again on a counterattack goal by senior captain Ethan Wojciechowski assisted by Saunders. The latter goal tied it at 5-5 with 2:45 remaining in the quarter.

But Trinity League champion Orange Lutheran answered on the power play, when Molthen fed Jake Markle from the right wing. The Lancers would also score the first two goals of the fourth quarter, one by Daube and another six-on-five strike from senior Parker Killion, again assisted by Molthen from the right wing. Suddenly, Huntington Beach was down, 8-5, with three minutes left in the game.

“We put our big guns at the wings, and we knew they were going to come out and press us,” Carrera said. “I mean, we called it. We called the right play and it was wide open for Parker. That really sealed the deal for us, big-time. You know, in games like this, you kind of just feel like you’re one step ahead. They’re countering you, instead of you countering them. That was where we were successful. They had to solve us instead of us trying to solve them.”

A goal inside by Hurst brought the Oilers closer, but Orange Lutheran essentially iced the game with another six-on-five goal with 1:15 to play. This time, it was Orrick doing the honors.

Osborne, who drew three exclusions and a penalty shot, led the Oilers with two goals. Cavano, Curtis Jarvis and Wojciechowski (two assists and three steals) added one goal each.

Saunders said he would miss playing with this group of players before they go their separate ways.

“It’s been the happiest four years of my life,” he said. “These were the best guys, the best coaches I could ever play with. I wish I could spend more time with them. I wish we could play more, we had another season. I’m going to miss these guys.”

Osborne, who will join Saunders with the Bruins next year, agreed with that sentiment.

“I wouldn’t have chose another team to go into this battle with,” Osborne said. “[I’ll remember] just the commitment and the discipline. Our coach is the greatest coach I’ve ever worked under. It’s been an honor having Sasa as a leader. He’s like a father to me. [It’s] just the cohesion and the great bond that I have with these guys.”